Process for producing 1.3-glycols.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD BLAIR EARLE AND LUCAS IBETRON KYRIAKIDES, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSA- CHUSETS, ASSIGNORS T0 HOOD RUBBER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- Patented Apr. 21,1914.

CHUSETTS. I PROCESS FOR PRODUCING 1.3-GLYCOLS.

1,094,316. Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

Application filed December 5, 1912. Serial No. 735,165.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RICHARD B. EARLE and LUCAS P. KYRIAKIDEs, citizens of the United States, residing at Cambridge, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Pro-v ducing 1.3-Glycols, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and valuable process for producingkllfi-glycols ((5 glycols) of the general form a in which R is either hydrogen or any organic radical, ethyl, methyl, propyl, etc. These glycols are useful in preparing unsaturated hydrocarbons.

The new process consists in reducing ketone alcohols of the general formula in which R is either hydrogen or an organic radical, electrolytically by use of a mercury cathode in sodium bicarbonate solution preferably at temperatures under 20 C. These ketone alcohols may be prepared in any known manner.

In order to illustrate the new process more fully the following example is given: A ten per cent. solution of methyl ketobutanol CHaCO-CH-CH:

onion in water is saturated with sodium bicarbonate and reduced at a mercury cathode with a current density of from three to six amperes per 100 square centimeters and a volt- A small excess over the theoretical currentis used in order to insure complete reduction. The apparatus need not be specified as it is any of the known forms of electrolytic cells. At the end of the reduction the cathode liquid is distilled in vacuo. First water containing traces of the glycol distils over until finally the pure methyl butane diol distils over at reduced.

No resinous matters and only traces of by-products are formed, the yield being at least seventy per cent. of the pi theoretical. The current yield is over sixty per cent. of

the theoretical.

We claim- 1. The process of producing 1.3-glycols which consists in reducing 1.3-ketone alcohols by an electric current in an alkali carbonate solution at a mercury cathode.

2. The process for producing 1.8-glycols (fi-glycols) which consists in reducing 1.3- ketone alcohols by use of the electric current in sodium bicarbonate solution at a mercury cathode at temperatures below 20 C.

3. The process for producing 1.3-glycols (fi-glycols) which consists in reducing 1.3- ketone alcohols in sodium bicarbonate solu tion at temperatures below 20 C. at a mercury cathode by the electric current using a current density of from 3 to 6 amperes per 100 square centimeters of cathode surface and a voltage or over three volts.

RICHARD BLAIR EARLE. LUoAs PETRON KYRIAKIDES.

Witnesses:

E. GRACE BRowNE, M. A. HAGARTY. 

